The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has said it will no longer permit the reopening of audits by the introduction of new documents or evidence that should have been submitted to the auditors earlier during the audit.

Chairperson, Hon. John Mbadi (Nominated) said the Committee will exclusively address only audit queries as presented by the Auditor General.

 “As Members of the PAC, we have resolved that from the 2022/23 Financial Year, we will exclusively address the audit queries presented by the Auditor-General. We will not entertain attempts to reopen audits by introducing new documents or evidence that should have been submitted during the audit,” Hon. Mbadi said.

He emphasized the need to establish a cutoff point for audits, urging responsible officials to furnish auditors with all necessary supporting documents during the audit process.

“Once auditors approach you, provide all the required documentation. It is unacceptable to withhold documents during the audit and then present them here. We are not auditors,” he added.

Members pointed out a common practice among Principal Secretaries where they fail to provide essential documentation during audits then come with extensive paperwork when responding to audit queries before the Committee.

This decision was communicated during the review of the Auditor-General's report on the accounts of the State Department for Medical Services for the year ending June 2022.